The Destruction of Radiance
by zeldahearts1337
Summary: What happened in Radiant Garden, that led to it becoming Hollow Bastion? What lives, were ruined and destroyed? R&R please!


_NOTES: this is what possibly happened(what I think) during the destruction of Radiant Garden after Birth by Sleep; namely two years after said game. I'm assuming you already know about various Final Fantasy characters. Also, this is a one-shot, if you don't like that, too bad._

* * *

"You had enough?" The cocky, blond fifteen year-old yelled at his older sparing partner. A smirk appeared on the brunette's normally calm face. Cloud charged at Squall Leonhart—then, the ground shook; shadowy monsters formed out of inky black pools; and the ground split open, tossing buildings around like playthings. Not a single creature like these new ones had been seen in two years, and even then they never carried such a menacing aura.

Squall gasped as his gun-blade passed harmlessly through the new adversaries. Cloud's eyes widened and he started running towards the nearby apartment building yelling "AERITH!" Squall ran the same direction: Yuffie was in Cid's first floor apartment waiting for her parents; she was only twelve and had little skill with her massive shuriken. Squall and Cloud, both of them unnerved by the screams the echoed off the walls, parted ways in the entryway: Cloud heading up towards higher floors, Squall turning a corner.

"ISA-AGH!"

"LEA!NO!"

"Grandma? Grandma we gotta get out of here! Wake up!"

An older man, middle-aged with blond hair that held slight streaks of gray, was running opposite Squall carrying a young girl with short black hair who was crying. Squall instantly changed direction, and ran alongside the man.

"Squall! What're these things?" Cid yelled, while Yuffie continued to whimper

"Where are my mom and dad? Why are these things hurting people?"

"Dunno, but we need to get everyone out!" Squall commanded.

Meanwhile, Cloud was fighting off hordes of the beastly shadows with his adult-sized longsword, his girlfriend Aerith close by and screaming with terror at the sight of so much carnage. A large body had backed them onto a balcony; it cracked and groaned under it's massive weight.

"Aerith," Cloud whispered "Stay near me no matter what, got it?"**  
**Aerith nodded, but sniffled slightly.

Squall, Cid, and Yuffie had arrived after defeating hundreds of the hideous beings.

"Cloud!" Squall yelled: he'd been friends with him since the day they'd met. Aerith saw a clear path to Cid and ran for it. Her hair got snagged in the claws of one of the monsters once, but she got to the group relatively unharmed.

Cloud was now surrounded by Heartless.

Squall and Cid couldn't help; their hands were already full protecting Yuffie and now Aerith. The large body took a tentative step towards the frightened boy. The balcony cracked, and it bent at a 45-degree angle like a broken branch. Cloud lost his footing and tripped over the low railing onto the rubble-filled streets below.

"CLOUD!"

Everything ran in slower motion as Squall ran to the ridge where Cloud fell. But a vortex was sucking everything away; Cid grabbed Yuffie and Squall, and Yuffie grabbed Aerith; all four were sent hurtling into the empty black of the lanes between.

* * *

When Squall awoke, he was in a different place. More whimsical, more strange.

"W-where's Cloud?" he asked, sitting up from the soft, warm hotel bed.

"Dunno..." came a reply with a strong, sad undertone. Cid was sitting in a nearby chair looking at a book while Yuffie was crying in a corner. Aerith was silently staring out to the street, as if hoping that Cloud was still alright.

Squall bit his lip; he wasn't going to cry, not when people needed him to be strong. He decided to change his name; Squall lost his home and his friend and didn't do anything to stop it; Leon would be successful and hopefully have a better life.

"Squ—" Cid started

"It's Leon now." Squall hissed.

"Changin' yer name ain't gonna—"

"I KNOW!" Leon yelled. The room fell into a uneasy silence.

* * *

"Hey, you alright?" a voice asked. Cloud drowsily opened his eyes, the last thing he remembered was falling and hitting his head. A boy a little older than him with bright orange hair and a lanky form was leaning over him with a look of worry.

"huh...?" Cloud sat up, his head had a strong ache and it didn't help with his disorientation. His arms were scratched and his ankle felt twisted. The surrounding area was a grand outdoor entrance hall to... well, Cloud didn't know where. The architecture was clearly Grecian with the massive columns and angular roofs.

"Welcome to the Olympus Coliseum. I'm Hercules, Hero-in-training." Cloud accepted the help up, and frowned as he didn't see anyone familiar.

"I guess I'll be here awhile..."

* * *

**_Me:_**_That's it! wee I'm done! Hope you like it, blah blah. R&R_

**_Cloud _**_: What kind of ending is _**_that _**_? I'M FREAKING STRANDED!_

**_Leon/Squall _**_: You _**_were_**_stranded until somewhere between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2._

**_Aerith _**_: I kinda liked it._

**_Cid _**_: Eh, I've seen better._

**_Yuffie _**_: HEY! I'm not that wimpy!_

**_Lea, Isa, Kairi's Grandma, and Kairi_**_: WHY DO WE DIE AND ONLY HAVE MINOR CAMEOS?_

**_Me _**_: Guys, chill! I did my best! _

_**(gets massively pummeled by angry fans and angry characters)**_

**_Me_**_: ouch..._


End file.
